Mistura d'Amore
by Casca
Summary: H/G R/Hrm. A group of fifth year girls, including Ginny Weasley, make a love potion and the results are disastrous!
1. Part 1

**Title**:  _Mistura d'Amore_

**Author**: Casca Casccara@yahoo.com

**Classification**: H/G

**Summary**:  A group of fifth year girls, including Ginny Weasely, make a love potion and the results are disastrous!

**Spoilers**: None, really.

**Rating**: PG

**Disclaimer:** All characters and names used in these fics are the 

Legal property and creative work of JK Rowling and/or Warner Bros.  

Oh, e_xcept_ for Emma, Rebecca, Lana and my personal favorite, Sarah, —Potion Makers Extraordinaire. :D

~The Night Before~ 

            "Okay, next is the _Bella Donna_," Emma Dashbrook said, looking up from the ornate book she was reading and watching Lana Richmond carefully sink a little dropper into the bottle of crushed powder and drop the dust into the simmering cauldron.  

            "Oh, be careful, you don't want to slip and put too much of _that _in," the worried voice belonging to Sarah Murphy pleaded.

            "How many times are you going to whine?" Rebecca Ethington snapped at Sarah and flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.  

            "Oh, shut it, Rebecca, you're known to whine a bit, if I recall," Ginny Weasley stated from her crossed-legged position on the floor beside the small pewter cauldron that was bubbling with shimmering pink bubbles now.

Rebecca grinned at Ginny.  "This from the first class temper over there," she said and threw a pillow at her which Ginny laughingly threw back.  

"I should have known all of you were too childish to go through with this," Lana said matter-of-factly then fell back on the floor as a pillow hit her in the face.  "That's enough," she said laughing as well.  "Come on, I really want to get this thing finished."

"What's next?" Ginny asked, leaning over Emma's shoulder to peer at the page.

Emma pushed her overly large glasses up her nose.  "Just the sugar before we have to split it up."

Lana held out a hand to Rebecca who held out a hand for Emma who flipped her own hand in front of Ginny.  "Sugar, please."

"Sugar," Ginny said, placing five sugar cubes, one for each girl, into Emma's hand. The cubes were passed to Lana who dropped them into the cauldron one by one.

The contents of the cauldron crackled and bubbled and turned clear as crystal.  

"Now we add the little bits of ourselves, but we have to divide it first," Emma said.  "Where are the goblets?"

"Goblets are right here," Sarah said.  Ginny and Sarah arranged them neatly on the floor and watched Lana ladle each goblet with the clear potion that reminded Ginny rather unromantically of water.  After adding a single strand of their own hair to each goblet, the girls placed their own cups on their bedside tables and collapsed with giggles on their beds.

"Who are you going to give yours to, Emma?" Lana asked, grinning.

"Oh… I dunno…" she sighed. "Whoever would _I_ want to give a _love p_otion to?" 

The girls laughed; it was common knowledge that Emma had a mad crush on Seamus Finnigan, a sixth year Gryffindor boy who was way out of her league and already had a girlfriend.

"What about you, Gin?" Rebecca asked with a knowing grin.  "Going to try it out on The Boy Who Lived?"

Ginny let out a snort.  "Harry?  Harry is ancient history," she retorted, exchanging meaningful grins with Sarah.  Harry was anything but ancient in Ginny's history book but Sarah was the only girl in her year that Ginny still trusted with that information.  "Besides, I thought we were going to use caution here," Ginny said, sitting up.  "We can't just go around putting love spells on boys who already have girlfriends."  She threw a pillow at Emma.  

"Harry doesn't have a girlfriend," Lana said with a rather wicked grin.

"Harry is not an issue," Ginny said.  "Seamus, however, is and I happen to know that Lavender Brown can be very jealous."  

"Neville Longbotton doesn't have a girlfriend, either," Sarah said slyly and Ginny shot her a look.  

"So?"

"So… he already likes you, Ginny, why don't we just give him a little push?"

"He doesn't like me, and besides, I'm not giving my potion to anyone—this was just for fun. At least my fun. You lot can do as you please; I'm emptying mine out tomorrow."

"Bo-ring!" Lana said, throwing a pillow at her.

"I don't care!" Ginny laughed and threw the pillow back. 

"The potion only lasts twenty-four hours," Emma reasoned. "And besides, the person won't remember anything after the one full day… remember?"  She rolled off her bed with a lazy thud, crawled over to the book, Love by Magic, and started reading aloud:

"_Mistura d'Amore,_ mixture of love, an ages-old Italian love potion originated in Italy and dating back to the late fifteenth century.  It is myth that the Ancient Roman god Cupid, the god of love, who was said to fly around with a bundle full of arrows, would laden his arrows with _Mistura d'Amore_ before shooting them into unsuspecting victims and causing them to fall madly in love with the person of Cupid's preference.

"Despite the myths surrounding _Mistura d'Amore,_ the potion is true magic and very effective. The drinker will _not _suffer changes to his/her behavior, personality, or character, but will develop feelings of love for the maker of the potion and begin to express them, not in the clumsy, foolish fashion that Cupid's victims were often depicted, but with a natural and very pure manner.  After twenty-four hours have passed, the potion will wear off and the drinker will remember nothing that happened while under the influence of it, and any events that had taken place with the potion brewer will have never existed in the mind of the drinker.  The potion brewer, however, will remember everything."

"There you have it," Lana declared. "Twenty-four hours, and they won't remember anything afterwards."

"Yes, but other people will know—like Lavender Brown, for instance," Ginny said, grinning at Emma.  "I don't care; if you girls want to cause destruction in the lives of your true loves then so be it, but count me out," she laughed as Sarah stuck her tongue out at Emma behind Emma's back.

  "Please!"  Lana exclaimed.  "How much destruction can possibly be caused in _one day_?"  

Ginny fingered the velvet tassel of her pillow, a certain black haired, green-eyed boy on her mind.  A certain black-haired, green-eyed boy who had never paid any heed to her mad crush on him.  "I don't even want to think about it."

****

_~Day One~_

****

Ginny awoke the next morning to an empty dorm.  This was usually the case on weekends, for she often slept longer than everyone else did.  She slid out of bed and the bronze goblet on her bedside table came into focus.  Smiling at the memory of making the potion last night, she lifted the goblet, which was filled to the brim with the _Mistura d'Amore_ and emptied it out in the sink of the girl's bathroom.  Then she dressed herself and went down to breakfast.  

Many people were filing out of the Great Hall as she entered it, however, the tables were still quite full of people just sitting down.  She saw Sarah and started to make her way over to her.

"Hey, Ginny!"

Ginny turned and smiled.  "Oh, hey, Neville, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing much.  Have you had your breakfast?" he asked in his usual kind voice.

"No, I've slept in, I'm afraid. You?"

"No, I had to do detention early this morning for Snape," he said and shivered frightfully.  Ginny laughed and Neville looked at her nervously. "I just sat down and started eating… would you like to join me? For breakfast, that is." 

"Uh… sure," Ginny said, now distracted by Sarah in the background.  She was waving both arms frantically, her eyes wide, and pointing to Neville.  Ginny sent her a confused look and turned back to Neville who was still speaking to her.  

"Shall we sit down?" he asked her.

"Um, okay," Ginny said and started in shock when Neville took her arm.  Ginny glanced over at Sarah again.  Her mouth was hanging open and she was dragging her fingers down her cheeks, a look of horror on her face.  

Completely perplexed, Ginny allowed Neville to lead her to the table and they sat down.  Neville asked her if she would like any eggs and she nodded, watching with bewilderment as he spooned some eggs onto her plate.  He did the same with orange juice and toast, smiling very nervously at her as he fixed her breakfast.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you," Sarah was beside her and yanking her arm so that Ginny almost fell off the bench.  "It's very important," Sarah said meaningfully.

"Uh, sure.  Neville, will you excuse me for a second?"

Neville jumped up.  "Sure, no problem, Ginny."

Sarah nearly dragged Ginny down the length of the Great Hall and turned to her in the middle of the entrance hall.  

"Sarah, what is the matter with-"

"They gave Neville your potion," Sarah said in a rush.

Ginny stared at her.  "What?  That's impossible, I emptied out my potion this morn-"

"You emptied out _my _potion this morning.  They switched, Emma told me that Lana had planned   it and when we both came down to breakfast, Neville had already drank his pumpkin juice."

"Oh _no_," Ginny clasped her hands to her mouth and stared at Sarah in horror.  "How could they _do_ this?  I _told_ them I didn't want-"  Ginny stopped suddenly and turned her head towards a very sudden, very powerful magnetic force.

Harry Potter was standing at the large wooden doors leading to the grounds.  And he was staring directly at her.

Completely unnerved, she sent him a little smile and a wave before turning back to Sarah.  She stared at her best friend, a blank look on her face.  "What was I saying?"

"You were freaking out over-"

"Hey, Ginny."  Neville was at her side again.  "Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly.

Ginny turned to look at him and her heart just about broke.  He looked so eager and so kind.  She couldn't bare to tell him the truth, she just couldn't.  "Everything's fine, Neville.  Er, Neville, I'm not very hungry anymore. I'm just going to go up to my dormitory, I have some things I need to…" Ginny trailed off as she absentmindedly cast her eyes back to where Harry had been standing.  With a jolt, she saw that he was still in the same place and his eyes were still on her.  

Ginny watched Harry's eyes flicker to Neville and back to her again, looking put off about something now.  Then with a shake of her head, Ginny looked away.  She was imagining this, that was all.  There were more important issues at hand.  Neville, for instance.

"Are you sure, Ginny?" Neville was asking her and he looked very worried.  "You look a little… troubled.  Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh, I'm-" Ginny started to say, "I'm fine," when a brilliant idea occurred to her.  The potion would wear off after one day.  So she simply would have to avoid Neville for that time.  She could spend the entire day in her dormitory- there were no classes today anyhow; it would be rather easy if not totally boring.  "Actually, yes, I'm not feeling too well."

Neville looked alarmed.  "Really?  Would you like me to escort you back to your dorm?"

"No!" Sarah said sharply and Ginny and Neville both jumped.  "She is obviously too sick to go back to the dorm. Look at your flushed cheeks, you poor dear!  I'm taking you to the hospital wing, Ginny."

Neville was frantic.  "Are you sure she'll be okay?  Perhaps, I should tell a teacher."

"I'll handle it, Neville, don't worry, now," Sarah said bravely.  "Off you go." 

"Feel better, Ginny," said Neville, wringing his hands.

"I will," Ginny said miserably.

"Oh, hey Ginny, wait!  Here, take this." Neville held out a clean white handkerchief.  

She held it in front of her wearily.  "What's this for?"

He looked sheepish.  "Oh, well, my Gran always gives me a hanky when I have to go to the mediwizard.  It might… come in handy or something…"  

"Uh… thanks," she said before Sarah yanked her away.  "Oh, Sarah, poor Neville," she whispered as they climbed the steps to Gryffindor Tower.  "I'm going to have to hide from him all day now!"

"He'll snap out of it," said Sarah reassuringly, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear.  "Twenty-four hours, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember.  But he'll have to be miserable for twenty-four hours in the process.  Oh, I'll kill them for this."

~*~

Ginny and Sarah spent the entire morning in their dormitory, playing game after game of Gobstones and talking about basically nothing.  Sarah agreed to keep Ginny company until she had to go the Divination Tower to aid Professor Trelawney in crystal ball cleaning ("The Fates' had chosen Sarah and Emma for it, according to Trelawney).  Quite conveniently, Lana, Emma and Rebecca had not returned to the room all morning and Ginny couldn't wait until they did.  They would not get away with this, at least without receiving a very cold shoulder from her.  

At around noon, however, Ginny and Sarah looked up from their beds at a loud commotion coming from downstairs.  They scrambled up and went down to see what was going on and as they entered the common room, they saw Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown standing in the middle of a huge crowd. They were both red in the face and screaming at each other.

"At least _she_ doesn't nag me every three seconds!" Seamus was roaring at Lavender who was in tears.

Parvati Patil huffed at him as Lavender started wailing even harder.  "I will never forgive you for this, Seamus Finnigan. Never!" Lavender shrieked and pelted towards the girls' staircase, almost knocking Ginny and Sarah down in her wake.

Standing on the sidelines, looking quite terrified, was Emma.  Parvati walked up to her and gave her a scathing look.  "You will pay for this. Stay away from him."  Then she turned on her heel and went after Lavender.

After the spectacle, the laughing and murmuring Gryffindors started to settle down inside the room and Ginny was relieved to see that Neville was not among the crowd.  

"I hope you're happy," Ginny snapped to Emma.  

Emma groaned.  "This is not how I thought it would turn out."

"It's exactly how I _knew_ it would turn out," Ginny said.

"Okay, fine. Say 'I told you so.'  That's fine."

"No, it's not fine.  I've been up in the dormitory for three hours now trying to avoid Neville- because he's in love with me today.  Isn't that interesting?"

Emma gave her a look.  "It was all Lana's idea, I swear it."

"You couldn't have stood up for me?" Ginny demanded.

"I'm sorry!  Look, you don't have to worry about Neville. I just saw him and he says he'll be spending most of the afternoon in the library working on some Potions essay.  So you're free- just don't go to the library."

Ginny sighed.  "Well, that's good news, I suppose."

"_Emma_?"  All three girls head's snapped up at the sound of the male voice.  Seamus was standing there looking very angry.  "I thought we were going down to the lake," he said impatiently.  

"Er… sorry, Seamus, I can't… I have to go up to Divination Tower.  Sarah and I promised to help Trelawney with something."

He narrowed his eyes.  "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Er, I forgot, sorry."

Seamus shrugged.  "Okay, whatever.  I'll stop by the tower later, then."  He walked off.

Emma closed her eyes.  

"Not very fun, is it?" Ginny snapped.

Emma sighed.  "Not when I know he's only doing this because of some stupid potion." 

~*~

After Emma and Sarah had left for the Divination Tower, Ginny headed out to the grounds.  The walk by the lake Seamus had spoke of sounded very appealing to her and since Neville was cooped up in the library, Ginny decided to make the best of her lesson-free day.  The April air was warm and the lake sparkled with the light from the sun as she walked the slow path around the water, letting her mind wander where it may.

It always wandered to Harry.

Lately, however, she'd been training herself not to focus so much of her time pondering about Harry.  Last year, the center of her life had been trying to deal with the fact that Harry did not see her in any sort of romantic sense.  And this year, she had vowed, would follow up with her coming to terms with it and moving on with her life.  She was going to be in her sixth year next term and she would not waste her school years pining after a boy who would never want her.  

Ginny was smarter than that.

"Hey, Ginny."

She jumped and turned to see none other than Harry standing a short distance away.  _Speak of the devil_, she thought.

"Hi, Harry," she sighed.

He walked over to her.  "What are you doing out here?" he asked her in a casual voice.  

"Oh… just walking," she smiled at him, squinting in the sun.  "How about you?"

He shrugged and gazed out at the lake.  "I dunno… I was going down to Hagrid's, but he's not home.  Kind of bored."

"Yeah, me too," Ginny sighed and reached up to tug on a long vine from the massive weeping willow tree they were approaching.

"Where are your friends?" he asked her, perching down on a large bolder, watching her play with the hanging vines.

_Causing destruction in the lives of Gryffindor men_. "They had stuff to do," she answered vaguely. "What about my brother and Hermione? Where are they?"

Harry bit his lip.  "I'm kind of avoiding them to tell the truth."

"Why?" she asked in surprise.

"Well," he said thoughtfully.  "When you know two people as well as I know them… you know when to leave them alone.  For instance, as the best friend, you can smell a huge fight brewing before they can and you know when it's time to get lost."

Ginny laughed.  It was a side of Harry she rarely saw… and certainly never when he'd been speaking to her.  It was nice, she realized.  

"Did you ever swing on the branches?" he asked her, standing up.

"What?"

"Swing on the branches of a willow, did you ever try it?"

She choked a laugh. "No… have you?"

Harry grinned. "Of course.  Fred and George showed Ron and I how to properly swing last year."

"Oh, there's a proper way, is there?" she grinned back, feeling a tiny blush creep into her cheeks.  

"Yup," He grabbed his own vine and wrapped his hand around it right above his head.  "Here grip the branch like this… make sure it's a thick one or else it'll snap."

Ginny copied his grip, wrapping her own vine around her hand.  "Okay…?"

"Now, take the bottom and wrap it around your foot like this."  

She bent down and struggled to wrap the vine one-handed around her foot.  "We should have done this before we tied up our hands!" Ginny laughed.  

"Got it, then? Okay, now kick off with your free foot-" Harry gave a hard kick off and swung away.

Ginny burst out laughing and gave her free foot a hard kick.  She was off swinging, but not reaching the distance he was.  "Why aren't I going as far as you?" she laughed.

"Because, you're lighter than I am," Harry said and zoomed passed her at top speed.  "Kick harder."

Ginny laughed and tried to kick off harder, hurting her foot in the process.  "Put a spell on mine; make it go faster!"

"Nope," Harry said, grinning.  "Some things are better left without magic. Hey, there you go."

Ginny started getting the hang of it and soon they were swinging back and forth, in the midst of all the cascading vines swaying in the breeze.  Something very sweet in the air was making her forget the fact that she was with Harry and they were swinging on willow vines together.  When she didn't hear his voice anymore, she glanced up and saw that Harry had stopped swinging and was now leaning against the trunk, watching her.  She put her foot down abruptly.  "Why did you stop?" she asked breathlessly.

He said nothing. His eyes were on her looking pensive, almost confused.  He seemed torn, as if he wanted to say something, but was deciding against it. 

Something very wiggly slipped inside her stomach at the way he was looking at her… reminding her of this morning in the entrance hall. 

Just then, a tiny leaf fluttered in her eye and she realized it was coming from her hair. Self-conscious now with Harry staring at her, Ginny reached up and combed her fingers through her long hair, extracting the leaves.  "I guess I should be heading back," she said finally. 

"I'll walk with you," he said, pushing from the tree trunk.

Ginny stopped and turned to him, baffled.  Never in all her years of knowing Harry, had he offered to walk her _anywhere_. She wrung her hands and chewed on her lip nervously as they walked.

"What do you plan on doing tonight?" Harry asked her as they turned up the stone path to the castle.  

Something inside her broke open at his words.  Why was _Harry_ asking her about her _plans_? "Oh, I dunno.  How about you?" she asked very carefully.

"Well, there's a Quidditch practice.  Hey, you should come."

Ginny stopped walking altogether.  "What?" she demanded.

"I said there's a Quidditch practice; you should come."

Ginny gawked openly at him.  First he's swinging on vines with her, next he's walking her back to the castle, and now he's inviting her to Quidditch practice? Ginny felt as though she were in a different world. Was she simply cursed with unforeseen attention from _all_ boys today?  First Neville and now- 

She stood perfectly still all of a sudden.  "Oh, no," she said weakly.  "Oh, please no."  Not Harry… it _couldn't_ be. 

"What is it?" Harry demanded.  "What's going on, what's wrong?" 

"Nothings wrong!  I-" She swallowed. "Harry, why do you want me to come to the practice tonight?" she demanded suddenly, turning to him.

His eyebrows snapped together.  "Huh?"

Ginny found it was suddenly hard to breath.  "I need for you to give me one reason why you want me to come tonight."  She knew she must sound like a madwoman, but she didn't care.

He looked confused to say the least. "I dunno.  I thought… you might want to."

"I need another reason," she said quickly.

Harry was starting to look slightly annoyed.  "Ginny, what's the problem?  You don't have to come, I was just asking because-"

"Yes?" she prompted.

"…Because… because I wanted to!"

"Why?"

"_Why?_ Look," he snapped.  "I can take a hint, you don't want to come, that's perfectly fine."

"I want to come!" she cried before she could stop herself.  

"So, what's the problem?"

"There is no problem.  No problem, at all," she said in a rush.  "Harry, I need to go.  I'll see you at practice, then, okay?"  With that she raced off at top speed towards the castle. When she slammed inside the entrance hall, several passing students glanced her way, but Ginny didn't even see them. She darted up the stairs, passing suits of armor and several painting subjects yelling at her to slow down.  At last she came to a screeching halt in front of the Fat Lady.  "Nimblefluff," she panted and scrambled inside.  Just as she had hoped, Sarah, Emma, Lana and Rebecca were sitting around a small table talking.  

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked her, standing up and the four of them walked over to her.  "You really do look flushed, now."

But Ginny was looking at Lana.  "Perhaps you can clear something up for me.  I just spent an hour walking around the lake and swinging on willow vines with Harry Potter and now, tonight, I am attending his Quidditch practice at his invitation."

Sarah's eyes lit up.  "Ginny! That's _wonder_-" She stopped seeing the look on Ginny's face.  "Isn't that wonderful news?" she asked in a small voice.

Then Lana started giggling very hard; she pressed her hands to her cheeks and giggled herself silly.  "Guess what _I_ did!" she sing songed.

"I knew it.  You gave him the potion?" Ginny whispered in horror and beside her, Sarah gasped.

"Did you?" Emma asked her in surprise.

Lana let out a breath.  "Well, of course we did."

"We?" Ginny demanded and then saw Rebecca grinning.  "Oh, thanks.  Thank you two so much!" she choked, her eyes filling with tears.

Rebecca's smile disappeared. "It was only a joke."

"A joke!" Ginny exclaimed.  "I told you I didn't want to give my potion to anyone and you went behind my back and gave it to two separate people!" 

"Oh, come on, Ginny," Rebecca said. "Neville's just-"

"I don't care about Neville," Ginny spat.

"You also don't care about Harry," Lana retorted.  "Or so you said."

Ginny looked stunned.  "Do you even understand what Harry is to me?" she whispered.

"Ancient history," Lana said folding her arms.  "That's what you said last night."

"That's not true and you know it," Sarah exclaimed, her own eyes brimming with tears on Ginny's behalf.

"I will never forgive you for this," Ginny whispered to Lana and Rebecca and turned to flee up the stairs to the dormitory.

Once inside the room, Ginny flung herself on her bed and sobbed into her pillow.  She felt as though the one thing she had always wanted had been dangling in front of her and just as she was about to reach out and grab it, it had been yanked away.  There were no feelings behind the way Harry had been looking at her, the way he'd been so open with her… it was all just a spell.

"Ginny?" Sarah asked softly, sitting down on her bed and stroking her hair.  

"What?" Her voice was muffled against the pillow.

"It's going to be okay."

"I know that," Ginny said, pushing herself up.  She saw that Emma had sat down beside Sarah, her blue eyes sad behind her thick glasses.  "I know it's going to be okay and that tomorrow, he'll forget all about it.  I know that." She wiped away more tears.

"And that's the last thing you want," Emma sighed.  "I know."

Ginny nodded and let the tears fall down her cheeks.  "For a minute I thought… I really thought he…" she broke off and wiped angrily at the tears.  "Stupid of me, to even think that he would ever notice me."

"Stupid of _him_ not to," said Sarah.

Ginny had to smile at her fierce tone of voice.  Then she sighed.  "I'm going to have to avoid him too, for the rest of the night, now."

"What about the practice?" Emma said.

"Well, perhaps you can tell him you don't feel well," Sarah suggested with a weak smile.  "That seems to be working."

"No. I can't talk to him again. Not today."  She sat up suddenly. "Wait a minute!  If he doesn't remember anything that happened today, he won't remember ever asking me to come when the potion wears off.  So if I don't show up tonight-"

"It won't make a difference because tomorrow, he won't even remember it," Emma finished, sighing with relief.  

"I'll just have to avoid him all night after the practice.  That's all-"  
            "Oh, please!"  They all turned to see that Lana had just walked in.  "Ginny, don't be so stupid, go to the practice.  He's in love with you for today only!  Go and take advantage of it, you could probably even get him to kiss you!"

Ginny looked appalled.  "You are a sick, sick person."

Lana rolled her eyes.  "You're just too childish to go after what you want, that's all.  I mean, really, you can't even catch his attention on your own; you need a love potion to do it for you.  Pathetic."  And with that she sauntered out leaving Ginny, Sarah and Emma staring after her.

_~Day Two~_

Ginny woke up much earlier than the rest of the girls in her dorm.  She laid in bed contemplating the events that had taken place yesterday and hoped that there would truly be no harm done.  She reread the passage in the potion book about _Mistura d'Amore _and nodded to herself with relief.  The Potion would wear off in about an hour - exactly twenty-four hours from the time Harry and Neville drank it.

Ginny swung the curtain back and rolled out of bed.  In her bare feet, she padded towards the window and sank down on the floor, her gaze fixed on the vast Hogwarts grounds below.  Her eyes fell on the distant willow tree, and it's vines blowing in the gentle morning wind.  Ginny closed her eyes and allowed herself to think about the hour she'd spent with Harry yesterday.  It hurt, really hurt, that she would probably never see that side of him again.

A movement from the opposite side of the room made Ginny glance over to see Sarah emerging from her bed.  "Hey," she said sleepily.  "Why are you up so early?"

"Just thinking."

Sarah walked over - clad in her nightdress and bare feet as well - and sat down next to Ginny, drawing her legs beneath her.  "About Harry?"

Ginny stared at the willow tree very hard before turning to look at Sarah.  "Today, I am officially over Harry Potter, Sarah."

Sarah sighed.  "Ginny-"

"No, I'm serious. It ends today. It has to." 

Sarah looked somber. "Okay," she said simply.

An hour later, dressed and ready to go down to breakfast, Ginny and Sarah sat cross-legged on Ginny's bed while the other girls dressed.  Ginny reached over to her bedside table and picked up the handkerchief that Neville had given her yesterday; she fingered the thin material.

"How much longer?" she asked. 

Sarah was staring at her watch.  "Probably only a few minutes more for Neville.  Harry's should already be gone— he was at breakfast long before Neville was."

Ginny did not allow herself a moment of remorse- as far as she was concerned it had never been there in the first place.  She gasped suddenly.  The handkerchief she'd been holding in her hand was vanishing before her very eyes.  Ginny knew instantly that Neville would find it in his pocket should he reach for it now.  She looked up at Sarah. 

"I guess it's over," Sarah said.   

"Yeah. Everything's back to the way it should be." 

They sat on the bed for a few seconds before Ginny swung her legs off and headed for the door.   

Sarah and Ginny entered the Gryffindor common room together without a word to each other.  Ginny caught her breath when she saw Harry sitting on the sofa, head bent, and his elbows on his knees.  Sarah reached for Ginny's hand and squeezed as Harry looked up.  

She did not allow her heart to have the feelings that it was threatening to.  So she smiled at him and said, "Hey, Harry."

"Hey," he said, noting the both of them.

"What are you doing down here by yourself?" Ginny forced herself to make light conversation.

"Oh. I'm waiting for Ron to come down.  He takes forever lately," he said, rolling his eyes at the boys' staircase.  
            Ginny smiled.  "See you at breakfast, then." 

Harry nodded as the two of them walked off.  Then,  "Hey, Ginny, what happened to you last night?"

Ginny and Sarah froze. They stood perfectly still with their backs to him, not being able to believe they had heard correctly.  After a few seconds Ginny managed a very tiny, "Last night?"

Harry turned around to look at her, leaning his arm over the back of the sofa, his face unreadable.  "Yeah, the practice.  You never showed."

Ginny made a small noise in the back of her throat and Sarah was gripping her hand so hard, she couldn't feel her fingers.  "What?" Ginny managed to whisper.  "What practice?"

He looked exasperated.  "The Quidditch practice I told you about yesterday.  When we were at the willow by the lake…?  Don't you even remember?" There was a hint of frustration in his voice. 

Ginny couldn't breath let alone find her voice as Harry waited for an answer.  "Of course," she blurted after Sarah nudged her hard in the back. She swallowed hard.  "Of course, I remember.  Um, I just, well, I wasn't feeling very good.  I fell asleep really early."

"Oh," Harry nodded and Ginny could tell he was weighing her answer in his head, trying to decide if she were telling the truth or not.  Ginny saw him glance at Sarah and narrow his eyes in confusion. With a jolt, Ginny realized that Sarah's mouth was hanging open in an unflattering gape at Harry.  

"We've got to go down to breakfast now," Ginny said quickly.  "Sarah's really hungry, aren't you, Sarah? _Aren't _you Sarah?" she nudged her hard in the ribs.  

"Uh-huh," Sarah said weakly as Ginny dragged her out of the common room.

Once outside the common room, Ginny gripped Sarah's arms.  "Sarah- did he, I mean- he remembered everything?"

"Uh-huh," Sarah said weakly.  The Fat Lady looked on with interest. 

"How is this possible?  How is this possible, Sarah?" Ginny shrieked, giving Sarah a hard shake.

"I-I-I-I don't know!  Ginny!  What if there was something wrong with the potion?  What if we put too much _Bella Donna_, or something?  Perhaps it's going to go on for longer than one day!"

"That can't be," Ginny said shaking her head quickly.  "Neville's handkerchief!  I don't have it anymore, the conversation I had with him _never happened_!"

Sarah looked positively frightened.  "Oh, Ginny," she said, her eyes filling with tears and her voice trembling.  "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," she said miserably. "I just don't know! Wait, even though Harry remembers what happened, maybe he doesn't still have, you know, feelings for me-"

"But he does!  Ginny, I was watching him in there; you were too stunned to really look at him.  He was so hurt that you didn't come to the practice. He was trying to cover it up, but I saw! And he started getting really, really angry when he thought you didn't remember that he invited you!"

Ginny clasped her hands to her face.  "What have I done?" she whispered.

Part Two 

Review this fic!

Back to

The Hidden Tower


	2. Part 2

**Title**:  _Mistura d'Amore_

**Author**: Casca Casccara@yahoo.com

**Classification**: H/G

**Summary**:  A group of fifth year girls, including Ginny Weasely, make a love potion and the results are disastrous!

**Spoilers**: None

**Rating**: G

**Disclaimer:** All characters and names used in these fics are the 

legal property and creative work of JK Rowling and/or Warner Bros.  

_Except_ for Emma, Rebecca, Lana and my personal favorite, Sarah, —Potion Makers Extraordinaire. :D

Day Two, cont… 

Hermione sat at the breakfast table eating her porridge and reading through her History of Magic notes when Ron joined her.  She smiled when she felt Ron's fingertips lightly touch her wrist and his knee nudge hers under the table—all while fixing his breakfast plate.  She loved the little affectionate gestures he showed her, especially when he didn't know he was doing them—as  was the case just then.  It often made her wonder when he would start to be, ahem, _more _affectionate. For the past two years, she and Ron had shared a somewhat silent agreement that they did, in fact, _like _each other. However, neither of them had taken to doing anything about it.

"Where's Harry?" she asked him, closing her notes.

Ron grunted incoherently.  

"What's the matter?"

"Well, he was acting weird this morning."

"Weird how?" Hermione asked, sipping her juice.

Ron huffed a sigh.  "I dunno… he was acting like this last night, too, after Quidditch practice.  He seems bad tempered."

"That's not weird.  He's been like that since last year, even more so this term," she said softly, wishing there was something she could do to ease Harry's mind about Voldemort.  

"No, that's not it," Ron said.  "This is different, he wasn't silent like he normally is when he's worried about all that.  He was cross and really disgusted.  Was going on about 'missing the boat,' or something or other."

"Missing the boat?" Hermione asked in confusion.  "What could that be about?"

Ron shrugged.  "Dunno, then just now, I came down and he was sitting on the sofa pouting and said that I took too long and now he wasn't hungry anymore. And when I asked him what the hell was wrong with him, he said that he was a dense idiot and that he was going for a walk around the lake and not to bother him."

Hermione frowned.  "Well, I don't like the sound of that at all. Ron, you should go after him." 

"Why, me?"

"_Because_… If I go ask him what's wrong, he'll think we were talking about him behind his back."

"We are and I don't care if he thinks that. I'm hungry," Ron stated and began shoving food in his mouth.

"_Ron_," Hermione moaned. "Go talk to him.  Find out what's wrong; I hate thinking he's out there all alone and he's sad-" 

Ron made a noise of disgust.  "He's not sad- he's a prat."

"Ron."

"Hermione, stop saying my name like that."

"Please?" she begged him. "For me?"

He turned to glare at her.  "That's not going to work this time."

Hermione bent her head and began picking at her food, mumbling a very hurt, "fine."

Ron sighed and threw down his fork.  "Fine.  Fine, I'll go, but just for the record, I know that you're pretending, right now. I know how you play your little games with me, and I'm going to start putting my foot down."  He spoke very firmly, but Hermione saw a reluctant grin at the corners of her mouth when she raised a brow at him.

She patted his hand.  "That's fine, you start putting your foot down then."

No sooner had Ron left than Ginny appeared at the table, out of breath and looking frantic.  "Hermione, I need to talk to you!"

"Ginny?" Hermione asked in surprise.  "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Hermione. It's awful."

"What is it?" she asked, very startled at Ginny's proclamation.

Hermione listened with wide eyes as Ginny told her what had transpired over the last two days.  When Ginny finished, Hermione gasped out loud. 

"You mean… Harry didn't forget?"

Ginny shook her head.  "And he still has these feelings, Hermione.  I bumped into him again just now when I was walking outside and he just stared at me.  I mean, just like before, only really intense, and the curious thing is I think he's angry with me for being so bizarre lately.  I don't know what to do, tell me, what am I going to _do?"_

"You're going to the library!"

"What?_"_ Ginny cried as Hermione pulled her out of the Great Hall. "_Why?_"

Ginny sat a round table in the back of the library and watched wearily as Hermione piled potion book after potion book in front of her.  Emma's ornate book where they had originally found the _Mistura d'Amore_ lay open on the table and when Hermione sat down again, she began opening books and peering through them.

"What good is this going to do again?" Ginny moaned.

"I told you," Hermione said patiently as she calmly flipped pages.  "There's bound to be more to that potion than those two paragraphs.  A potion with all those ingredients has got to be more complex than that."

"What could be more complex than love for twenty-four hours?"

"Well, obviously it's _not_ a twenty-four hour spell- we just need to figure out how to reverse it."

Ginny sighed and Hermione felt a pang of remorse for her.  "Bet you never thought you'd be looking for a spell that would make Harry fall _out _of love with you," she said, looking at her friend somberly. 

"Nope." 

"Ginny," Hermione squeezed her hand.  "I do believe he will start to notice you. For real."

"That makes one of us," Ginny mumbled and pulled _Adoration and Desire: A Potion Making Guide to Love _towards her. 

They flipped through book after book on potions and after two hours, Ginny slammed her novel closed with a bang.  "This is hopeless! We're never going to-"

_"Sshhhh!"_

 "Sorry!" they both whispered to a furious looking Madam Pince.

"Ginny, don't give up," Hermione said in a hushed voice.  "There has to be something on _Mistura d'Amore_ in one of these books, I know it- Wait!  Here, listen!"  Hermione smoothed the page and began to read.

"Special attention must be asserted while brewing certain love potions; for while it may be evident what each ingredient means to the specific characteristics of each potion, the elements used may have other effects that is not obvious to a brewer who has not fully researched how the ingredients act when brewed together.  For example, a common oversight is often made when a potion calls for natural ingredients ("natural" meaning "non-magical").  In this instance, careful consideration of the natural ingredient must be taken and thoroughly researched.  

"In a particularly common case, the use of sugar in the very old Italian-originated potion, _Mistura d'Amore_, is most commonly represented as the foundation for the drinker's "natural" behavior.  Indeed one of the most remarkable aspects of _Mistura d'Amore_ is how the sugar blends with the other ingredients of the potion and causes the drinker to lose none of his/her persona and remain quite naturally in love—all within a twenty-four hour period.  After the twenty-four hour period has passed, the drinker is supposed to forget everything that happened to him/her while under the influence of the potion. However, the sugar ingredient in _Mistura d'Amore_, has another effect, an effect that no remedy or counter will cure.  In the event that the drinker has romantic feelings for the potion-brewer in a repressed sense, the use of sugar, a pure, non-magical ingredient, forces the feelings to surface on the drinker.  The potion will in fact wear off after twenty-four hours, however the drinker's feelings will remain the same given the fact that _Mistura d'Amore_ did not _create_ the feelings, it forced the drinker to _recognize_ them.  In many cases, any events that happened while the potion was in effect had not been forgotten by the drinker, for he/she was not acting under the influence of the potion, and on their own free will."

Hermione broke off and looked up.  Ginny's mouth was hanging open and there was a crazed look in her eyes.

"So, you're saying," Ginny began slowly, eyeing Hermione very suspiciously.  "You're saying… your _saying_…"

Hermione nodded, unable to believe it herself.  "The potion's worn off, Ginny.  Harry's feelings are _real_, the potion only forced him to realize them!"

Ginny looked as though she'd been stunned.  "But- but-" she stammered incoherently.

"Don't you see? Harry had feelings for you before he drank the potion.  He never said anything because he probably didn't even _know_ about them!"

"Hermione… it's impossible," Ginny said weakly.  "There has to be a counter-curse, there has to be!"

"Ginny, there is no counter curse because there is no curse! This is great news!"  
            "No, it's not," Ginny said, now close to tears.  "Now he won't ever stop feeling this way.  It's not right, how it happened.  If Harry had feelings for me, this was certainly not the way things were supposed to work out!"

"Oh, Ginny, I know that.  But the potion didn't do anything horrible, it just brought out Harry's feelings."

"Exactly. Harry supposedly has real feelings for me-" she broke off and Hermione could see that Ginny would never truly be used to that idea. "-and I couldn't even bring them out.  It took some stupid potion and now it's all full of deceit.  Lana's right- I am pathetic."

Hermione's heart just about broke.  She wanted to say that she knew exactly how Ginny felt- unable to get a certain boy to look at her in a romantic way.  But this was Ginny's problem, not Hermione's.  "I know it feels like you failed. But, Ginny… they are true feelings, _not_ the result of some potion, _true feelings_.  Isn't it… lovely, knowing that?"

Ginny's eyes filled with tears.  "It's a dream come true. For so long, I've wanted…  And now this means that everything that happened yesterday was…"

"Real," Hermione said smiling.  "It was all real." 

 "I'm happy about that… but Harry will never be able to forgive me for this, Hermione. He won't understand."

Hermione sighed and transferred the two paragraphs she'd read from the book to a piece of parchment with her wand. "Then don't tell him."

Ginny looked appalled. "What?"

"Does he really need to know?" Hermione asked sensibly.  

Ginny looked shocked.  "Of course he needs to know.  Hermione, I could never lie to him. And I can't…" Ginny blushed.  "Well, what I mean to say is, if Harry continues to, I mean to say, I can't…"

Hermione smiled.  "You can't tell him your not interested."

Ginny shook her head, her eyes wide.  "Never," she whispered.

"Look, Ginny… I think what we need to do is think about this very calmly and rationally for a couple of days."

Ginny gave her a look.  "I cannot be calm or rational while Harry asks me to Quidditch practices and… swing on vines with me."

"Oh, yes you can, Virginia Weasley.  You are a strong woman," Hermione said sternly.

Ginny puffed out a breath. "I s'pose."

"I _know_. Let's give it a few days and when we've had time to think about this more clearly, we'll talk about it again.  Until then… you'll just have to suffer through Harry's affections."

"Ha, ha," Ginny muttered and the two of them cleaned up and headed up to Gryffindor Tower. 

~Day Three~ 

After a very long day of contemplation, the solution was still quite clear to Hermione.  She just couldn't find a good, solid reason for Harry to know the truth.  His feelings for Ginny, if Hermione could relate them to her own feelings for Ron, would not go away even if he tried to ignore them.  Ginny would feel guilty about them and Harry himself would be ashamed of them.  He wouldn't trust Ginny or what he felt for her.  And it would worry him… Merlin knew that Harry didn't need another worry.  

No, it wouldn't do to tell him, Hermione realized.  It would cause more problems than it would solve.

Hermione had just vowed that she would force Ginny to realize this when Ron became the cause of a very sudden, very personal, disruption in her life.  She was seated in the Gryffindor Common Room that night, waiting for Ginny to come through so that they could talk when Ron marched over to Hermione and flung himself into the chair directly across from her.  He crossed his arms and sulked deliberately at her.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked, sitting up in surprise.  It was all she could do not to wince under his scrutinizing gaze.   "Ron…?  Is everything okay?" 

Ron continued to stare at her, his eyes narrowed in thought as if trying to wager something in his mind.  Then he slowly unfolded his arms and extended a hand, which held a piece of parchment, towards her.  Lifting a brow, Hermione took the paper and glanced down at it. Her heart sank to her knees.  He handed her the parchment in which she had copied down the full description of _Mistura d'Amore _from that book in the library.  At the bottom was the complete recipe for the potion that she'd written from Emma Dashbrook's potion book. Very slowly, very cautiously, Hermione raised her eyes to meet his.  And she gasped involuntarily at his angry, but somehow passive, face.

"Where did you get this?" she asked him nonchalantly as if it were very common for a girl to have love potion recipes on hand.  

"Your History of Magic notebook," Ron said carefully, his eyes never leaving hers.  "Where did _you_ get it?"

Hermione tried very hard to look indignant.  "What were you doing in my notebook?" she demanded.

"Copying your notes," he said without hesitation.

"Ron! I can't believe-"

"Hermione, don't change the subject," Ron said in a low voice that sent shivers of apprehension down her spine.  

"Um… oh, well, that's just… Ron, it isn't what it looks like."

"Did you… _make_ this potion, Hermione?"

Something squeezed at her heart.  "No," she insisted, wide-eyed.  "I didn't."

"Then how come I-" Ron broke off.  

"Yes?" she pressed. "How come you what?"

Ron looked back at her, about to say something, but he abruptly changed his mind.  "If you didn't make it, then why do you have this? I don't remember Snape assigning us love potions."  His voice held a very clipped tone that suggested accusation.

Hermione let out a long breath.  "I- I can't tell you why I have that. I _can_ tell you that it has nothing to do with me."

That did not appear to be good enough.  "I don't understand how you can have that when it doesn't have anything to do with you," Ron said, and Hermione was unbelievably hurt by his narrowed, suspicious gaze.

"Someone else made the potion, and gave it to someone, Ron.  I was just helping that person deal with the aftermath.  I didn't make it, I would never make something like that, at least to use it on anyone," her voice quivered.   

Ron bit his lip and Hermione knew he felt bad. But she didn't care—for once she'd thought that 

Ron would tell her that he—  

"So, um… who did make the potion then?  Anyone I know?" he asked offhandedly.

Hermione sighed and knew the moment had passed.  "I can't tell you, Ron.  I've made a 

promise."  

"I won't tell anyone," he said, all of a sudden indignant.  "And what's with keeping secrets? It's 

just me."

            "It's not a secret from _you_, Ron.  The whole world does not revolve around _you_."

            "I never said that it did!"

            "You automatically assume that you're involved. Why?" she demanded, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Hermione, I don't get it, why can't you just tell me who's under the ruddy love spell?"

 "Ron, I can't break a confidence." Angry now at his insufferable stupidity, Hermione's eyes snapped down to the page of her book and she began to read, completely ignoring Ron's fury. 

"Fine, then, if that's the way it is," Ron snapped.  "_I'm_ going to bed."

"Fine, have it your way, then," she muttered under her breath as Ron took off towards the dormitory. 

After five minutes of staring with blind anger at her Arithmancy text, Hermione turned as the portrait hole opened.  Sure enough Ginny was climbing through accompanied by her friend Sarah.  Hermione stood up as Ginny and Sarah dashed across the common room at top speed, passing Hermione and heading immediately towards the staircase leading to the girl's dormitories.  Several Gryffindor's glanced curiously their way.  

"Ginny, wait!" Hermione exclaimed as Ginny and Sarah reached the staircase and began to scramble up.  

They turned around.  "_What?"_ Ginny whispered hurriedly, her eyes darting to the portrait hole and back.

Hermione was startled.  "I- I wanted to talk to you about-"

Much to Hermione's surprise, Ginny interrupted with a roll of her eyes.  "Hermione, I can't right now.  He's coming!"

"Who?" said Hermione, completely taken aback at Ginny's pale face and Sarah's frightened eyes. 

"_Who?!_ Harry, that's who," Ginny hissed.  "He's been following me all day, I almost had to talk to him at dinner just now, but thankfully, Sarah spotted him and we made a clean getaway."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the crazed look on Ginny's face.  "Ginny… this is ridiculous; you can't avoid him forever.  I was going to tell you that you don't have to tell him!  It makes no sense-" She stopped when a loud creak sounded through the room.  All three girls whipped around as the portrait opened and the unmistakable black-haired boy climbed through.  

Ginny gasped sharply and scrambled up the staircase to the dormitory pulling a very frightened Sarah with her.  

Hermione stood where she was. How horrible her night was turning out!  First Ron's strange accusations and incessant nagging, then Ginny's refusal to listen to reason and unfounded fear of being in the same room as Harry… Hermione was beginning to believe that she herself was the only sane one in the group.  She sat down again and opened her book, but didn't even bother to look down at the pages.  She stared into space very thoughtfully and her distraction on the idiocy of her friends was broken when Harry plopped down in the chair across from her.

He looked very much like Ron had, only he wasn't glaring at Hermione.  He was glaring at a spot on the rug, and so severely, that Hermione had to glance towards the floor to see if there was a horrid stain.  

"Harry?" she asked carefully.

"Huh?" he muttered, still staring at the floor.

Hermione suddenly realized that she didn't want to know.  "Nothing," she said and forced herself to read.  

After a few minutes, he asked, "Hermione?"

She looked up.  He looked as if he were undergoing some kind of mental torture.  "What is it, Harry?"

He hesitated.  "Hermione… I've been having thoughts."

Her brows snapped together.  "Thoughts?"

"Uh-huh," he said slowly, looking very uncomfortable.

_Oh, no_.  He wasn't about to tell her… oh, yes he was, she realized as she watched him squirm in his chair. He was going to tell her about his sudden feelings for Ginny.  Hermione felt herself getting sick. How could she talk to him about this without lying to him?  After all, she knew the truth… even listening to this would be a lie. 

"Okay," she said weakly.

"About a girl."

"Harry, wait.  I… may not be the best person to talk to about this."

"You're the only person I can talk to Hermione. Ron-" he broke off and a look of fear came over his face.  "I can't tell Ron."

No, he certainly could not, Hermione realized with a start. Ron's discovery about the potion combined with learning of Harry's sudden feelings for Ginny would no doubt lead Ron to the truth- that Ginny made the potion and Harry drank it.  Resigned to the fact that she would have to listen to the details of Harry's love life, Hermione closed her book. "Alright, then.  Why can't you tell Ron?"

Harry hesitated again. "It's about Ginny."

"Ginny?" she pretended to look shocked and secretly vowed to kill Miss Ginny Weasley for leaving her alone with Harry.

"I can't explain how it happened, Hermione.  The other day, I left the Great Hall from breakfast and I saw her standing there.  And somehow I had to look at her… it was beyond my control.  And then I started having these… thoughts."

Hermione leaned forward.  "What kind of thoughts?"  
            Harry squirmed in seat again and looked at her very uncomfortably.  "Do I have to-- ?"

"No," she blurted out.  "You don't. I got it."

He looked very relieved.  

"So you have feelings for Ginny," she said softly.  "Why are you so upset, Harry?"

"She's Ron's sister, Hermione!  And I-"

"You what?" she pressed when he broke off and looked away.

"I- I don't think she feels the same." He looked out the window, his eyes troubled.

Hermione's heart broke at the site of him.  Oh, yes, Ginny Weasley's murder was most definitely on her to-do list. "Have you asked her?"

He shook his head.  "I can't get her alone!  I invited her to Quidditch practice; she got sick.  I tried all day to catch her in the corridors to ask her for a walk, but she always seems to be in such a hurry.  Or she's with her friends.  Why was I so _thick?_ Why didn't I notice her when I had the chance?"

"Harry, talk to her.  You'll have to catch up to her eventually.  And when you do, force her to listen.  That's the best I can tell you."

Harry looked at her sheepishly.  "Do you… know if she still, you know…"

"Oh, no," Hermione shook her head.  "I am not getting in the middle of this." Even as she said the words, Hermione laughed to herself.  She was exactly in the middle of this ordeal and she hadn't even made the stupid potion.  "Even if I did know, Harry, I wouldn't tell you.  I won't break anyone's confidence."

"I understand," he said gloomily.

"Oh, Harry, don't look so down! Just tell her how you feel, it'll all work out, trust me. Oh, and Harry, whatever you do, do _not_ tell Ron. Not yet at least.  We'll need to come up with a way to tell him that would be best for everyone involved." Including his not-so-innocent little sister.

"Yeah, I suppose your right," Harry sighed. 

_~Day Four~_

Ron and Harry were both bad-tempered when they awoke the next day.  They moped about the dorm getting dressed, grumbling moodily to each other, while Neville, Seamus and Dean wisely avoided speaking to them. 

Hermione's infuriating attitude from the night before was plaguing Ron's mind and since he hadn't even been able to rant about it to his best friend, Ron was having a particularly bad time of it.  He had begun to tell Harry about Hermione's mysterious behavior and that someone around school had been cursed with a love potion when Harry had finally come into the dorm last night, but Harry had stopped him before he even got a chance to speak, mumbling something about needing to think and promptly going to bed.  Harry's peculiar behavior was bothering Ron as well.  They were best mates-- weren't they supposed to talk about their problems with each other?  

Obviously not, Ron thought sourly as he glanced over at Harry who was pulling on a pair of socks, a huge frown distorting his face.  What was _with _everybody lately?

Despite his anger, Ron waited for Harry at the door, watching impatiently as Harry pulled both his socks on, then his shoes, taking his time tying the laces.  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Harry that he could always call Dobby the House-Elf to tie his shoes for him—it may just be quicker. However, Ron didn't want to start the day with a fight so he merely raised a brow and said, "Ready?"

"Hang on a minute, will you?" Harry said irritably and missed the annoyed glare Ron shot at him.

When Ron and Harry walked into the common room, Harry stopped and said, "Wait."

"What now?" Ron asked.  "I'm hungry, Harry, I want to get down to breakfast."

But Harry didn't look angry at Ron's outburst—he looked rather uncomfortable about something.

"Shouldn't we wait…?"

"Why?" Ron demanded.

"Well… you know, for Hermione and… and, well, whoever else?"

Ron looked at Harry as if he were crazy.  "Hermione's already down there, you know she's always at breakfast before we are."

"Huh," Harry nodded dully, deep in thought.

Ron bloody well thought his own head was about to explode.  "What's the matter with you?" he exclaimed.  

"There's nothing the matter with me, what's the matter with _you?"_ Harry shot back.

"Nothing! Can we go to breakfast now?"

Harry said nothing but shot Ron a disgusted look as they walked to the portrait hole. When they entered the Great Hall, Ron could see Ginny and Hermione sitting next to each other, huddled in a very secret looking conversation.  He felt a stab of annoyance—what was this about now?  Something else Hermione was keeping from him?  Worse of all, Ginny knew about it and he didn't?  

Harry slid into the seat on the other side of Ginny, forcing Ron to walk all the way around the table to sit on the other side, across from Hermione.  The two girls shut up really quickly and Ron watched his sister pick at her food with her eyes on her plate.  Hermione looked overly cheerful.

"Well, it's a beautiful day for a Quidditch game, isn't it?" she asked brightly. "All set, Harry?"

"Uh-huh," Harry muttered and Ron saw him glance at Ginny quickly.  Ginny kept her eyes on her plate, now spooning food into her mouth at an alarming rate.  Ron didn't have time to wonder about this strange occurrence because Hermione started talking very enthusiastically.  And very loudly.  So loudly, in fact, that several Ravelclaws from the next table looked over at her.

Ron didn't have the slightest idea what she was talking about—sometimes Hermione's rambling was just noise in his head. However, he did hear Harry and he was talking to Ginny.

"Are you coming to the game then?" Harry asked her.

Ginny continued to eat her cereal, apparently not having heard him.

Harry nudged her arm playfully.  "Hey."

Ginny looked up suddenly.  "Sorry, were you talking to me?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Harry said, and Ron heard a small note of hesitation in his friend's voice.  

"Oh… well, of course. I always come to the games."

Harry nodded.  "Good," he grinned at her and Ginny smiled back, then looked away quickly.

Ron stared very hard at Harry for a few minutes, some sort of unpleasant puzzle fitting together in his head.  Then, ever so slowly, Ron turned his narrowed eyes in Hermione's direction. 

She was looking back at him very intently, ripping a napkin to shreds with nervous fingers.  Ron had his answer.  

Harry.  It was Harry who drank that potion… and … _Ginny?_  Oh, he would kill his sister for this, he would bloody well murder-

"Ron, I have to talk to you right now," Hermione said, standing up.  Ginny and Harry looked up. 

"Not now, Hermione-"

"Now, Ron, _right now_.  It's an emergency." Her eyes were wide and deadly and Ron suddenly wanted to get her alone. 

So he could murder her first.

"Okay, then," he snapped.  "Let's go."

Harry stood.  "What's going on?"

Just then, Dean Thomas, Gryffindor's captain, stood up and beckoned the team as Ron and Hermione positively flew out of the hall.

"Ron-" Hermione began as they stepped into the entrance hall.

Ron cut her off.  "Hermione, _don't_ give me excuses.  She's dead… I think I may even write to tell mum about this."

"No, Ron, listen!  It wasn't her!"  Hermione dragged Ron up to Gryffindor Tower and she told him everything, including Ginny's lack of involvement and how Harry's feelings were not the result of the potion at all.  Ron sat dumbfounded for a few minutes after Hermione had finished.  He just couldn't fathom Harry even _thinking_ about his sister in that way… it was gross to say the least.

"It's mad," he muttered at last.

"Yeah, well… it's happened.  And now there is nothing we can do about it."

"Harry is going to freak when he finds out, that's for sure," Ron stated.

"He's not going to find out," Hermione said matter-of-factly. 

"_What?_ Hermione I am not going to sit back and let Harry be the butt of some prank-"

"Think about this sensibly, Ron.  What will telling him accomplish?  His feelings are real… he would have felt them eventually-"

"But-"

"It's not like Ginny did this to be deceitful—she's just as appalled as you are!"

"But-"

"And it'll only give him something else to worry about. Ron, Ginny's good for him.  He rarely smiles anymore what with everything going on outside of Hogwarts and did you see him today at breakfast?  There was something really… comfortable about him.  Even though he was _nervous_ about talking to her, he seemed happy.  Like he wasn't thinking about anything else."

Ron sighed.  The fact that Harry was _nervous_ about talking to Ginny—Ron's _sister_-- just didn't make sense in his mind.  But, as strange as this all was, Hermione was right. Harry didn't need something else to ruddy well be worried about.  And it was rare to see Harry joking around, even if it was with Ginny—Ron's _little_ _sister_—he was doing the joking with. Even though Ron wasn't completely sure about lying to Harry, he didn't see any other choice—he would rather see Harry happy than give him one more thing to be upset about.  "Okay," he said slowly.  "Fine, I won't tell him.  But, what I _can't _believe is that _Ginny_ doesn't want to tell him. She supposed to be like, you know, she's supposed to _like_ him and everything, won't this bother her?"

"Well, she's only tentatively agreed not to tell him.  She insists that she needs more time to think it over, but I know she'll realize that it's all for the best."

~*~

Ginny sat in the high Quidditch stands, clenching and unclenching her fingers. The conversation with Hermione at breakfast this morning kept replaying in her mind and Ginny knew that it was now obsolete.

She had to tell Harry the truth.  There was no way around it.

It was fine for Hermione to see that it wouldn't do any good to tell Harry, that it would only be causing more anger and confusion than was necessary.  However it was Ginny who would have to look into those green eyes, which were so absorbed with her and feel the guilt about keeping this from him.  She would never be able to feel the things she wanted to feel when Harry looked at her like that—she would never get all giddy and be able to truly respond to him.  The fact that she was hiding something, especially the something that had pushed him to feel this way about her, would simply not do.

So when Hermione and Ron sat down next to her, Ginny glanced at Hermione and whispered to her that she needed to talk to her after the game.  

"You can talk now, Ginny, Hermione told me the whole thing," Ron said irritably.

Hermione sent him a very narrowed look and Ginny gasped.  "You told him?"

"He figured it out on his own—he found the potion description in my book."

"Wonderful. I suppose you have a lecture for me, then?" Ginny snapped at her brother.

Ron shot her a look.  "No," he barked.  "I bloody angry, but not at you.  Now I have to keep a secret from my best friend." 

"Well… you don't have to worry about that, because I've decided I'm telling Harry the truth.  Today.  Right after the game.  Strike that, perhaps during a time-out."

"What? Ginny, I thought we'd-"

"I'm telling him, Hermione.  And that's that."

"Oh, no you're not!" Ron said resolutely 

"Ron, you _just _said-"

"It's only going to make him upset."

"I have to tell him, I can't go on like this-"

"Not everything is about _you_, Ginny!" Ron said angrily.

"_This_ is!"

"No, it's not.  It's about Harry's feelings, not yours, and you can't go around telling him it isn't real.  It's probably the only good feelings he's had and you're _not_ taking them away from him!  How could you be so selfish?"

Ginny was torn between being truly grossed out at her brother talking about Harry's feelings for her and utterly crushed at his words.  "I'm not selfish… he'll understand."

"No, he won't.  You don't know him, Ginny, he won't understand, he'll stress over this.  He'll wind up feeling really guilty about it and that's _not_ what he needs."

"I do know him," she said quietly.  And she knew that Ron was right.  Harry always did the noble thing, even if it meant feeling guilty about something he had no control over.  And this would be no different.

But how can I live like this? She thought madly.  At that moment the object of her thoughts performed a spectacular dive and held up his arm, the Golden Snitch caught in his hand.  The crowds erupted in cheers… but Ginny sat in her seat, positively miserable.

After the stands had emptied, and all the students and staff had gone up to the castle, Ginny paced slowly in front of the door which lead to the team pitch.  Most of the Gryffindor team members were emerging to walk up to the castle, but Harry hadn't   come out yet. Ginny was waiting for him in the hopes that seeing him and talking to him would give her the answer she was looking for.  After all, she hadn't really talked to the boy since the day by the willow.  She had to talk to him… she couldn't explain why. 

Harry materialized through the door, his gear swung over his shoulder, clutching his Firebolt in his other hand.  Ginny's heart turned over at the sight of him, untidy black hair dripping wet and standing on end, his piercing green alighted with the thrill of the game.  She knew all too well she could get lost in those eyes.

Especially when they were grinning with surprise and pleasure into her own.  "Hey. What's up?"

"I was waiting for you," she said, wondering why she always choked up around him, why his gaze always left her breathless.  "I wanted to, um, well…" She took a deep breath.  "I wanted to say great catch."

He grinned.  "Thanks.  You sure that's all?" he asked watching her with amusement.  "You look… stressed." 

Ginny grinned herself.  "I also want to apologize for not coming to the practice the other night."

He shrugged.  "Okay.  I mean, you weren't feeling well, right?"

Ginny noticed that his eyes didn't quite meet hers.  "Right," she said firmly, vowing this to be the very last lie she would ever tell him.  She tried desperately to ignore the fact that their entire relationship from this point would be based on a lie.

"Well, no harm done, I s'pose.  Hey, do you have any plans for Hogsmeade this weekend?" he asked as they started walking up to the castle.

"Uh…" Ginny's heart pounded in her ears.  "No… not really."

"You want to, er, meet me there, maybe?" he asked almost shyly, his eyes on the ground as they walked.  _He's asking me because he likes me… he really likes me and this has nothing to do with the potion._

"Okay," she said and bit her lip hard.

He grinned at her and Ginny felt tears poking the back of her eyes.  His feelings were real, truly real, she had to tell herself.  _It's not the potion, it's you._  She wondered if she would ever be able to sincerely believe that. 

"Three Broomsticks… say around… three o'clock?" 

Ginny nodded, forcing herself to believe it.  "Okay.  That sounds good. Thank you."

Harry stopped and turned to face her, his eyes looking into hers. "Thank you," he said softly.  He eyes took a slow dip down to her lips.

Her heart slid from her chest to her knees.  He wanted to kiss her…! Oh, no oh, no, oh, no… He couldn't kiss her, not yet-- she wasn't prepared.  "We should get back up to the castle," she blurted without thinking.  

Harry cast his eyes away from her, his face reddening.  "Yeah… there's probably a huge party in Gryffindor."

"Mmm," she nodded, her heart thudding in her ears.  "And the star player isn't even there! How terrible of you!" 

Harry snorted. "So? The star player had other things to do." He nudged her shoulder with his.

Ginny giggled.  "Like what, ask girls to Hogsmeade? That's not very life threatening."

"Oh… I think it is," he grinned.

"Typical," she shot him a playful look.  Flirting with Harry… who'd've thought it would come so natural to her? "Come on," she said taking off at a run. "Race you!"

"Oh, now that's not fair," he shouted, running after her. "I've got all this holding me back!" 

"It is fair—_hey!"_ she yelled as he began to pass her.  She pulled the back of his shirt to slow him and darted ahead.

"Cheater!"  he yelled, laughing and caught up to her at the castle stairs. He passed her, taking three steps at a time, then blocked the huge wooden doors with a grin. "Now what are you going to do?"

Flustered from running, Ginny climbed the last step.  "Come on," she panted, her face splitting from her grin.  "I'm a girl, you're supposed to let me win."

He blew out a sarcastic breath and grinned even wider.  "That's not how I work."

"Oh, really?"

"Nope," he said, dropping his broom and gear and crossing his arms.  "How are you going to get in?"

"Harry, you have to move, everyone's wondering where you are—"

"So?"

"—and they'll start to notice that I'm missing too—"

"So?"

"—and they'll put two and two together—"

"And?  What are you insinuating, Ginny?" His eyes were sparkling with mischief.

She tutted and rolled her eyes—it was all she could do not to flirt back. "I'm just thinking my brother may not find it so amusing."  Harry's smile disappeared and Ginny took the opportunity to push past him and open the doors.  "Oh, how gullible you are!" she laughed, sending him a saucy smile. "I win!"

"Ohhh," he said, gathering his things and followed her inside.  "This is not over, Miss Weasley… you will pay dearly for that. If it's the last thing I do…"  

Ginny was halfway up the marble staircase when he stepped inside the entrance hall and she turned to him.  "I'm sure you'll have fun trying, at the very least."  Then she squealed and took off at a run when he darted up the stairs after her with a wicked look in his eyes.  

_~ Hogsmeade Weakend ~_

The Hogsmeade weekend arrived with much anticipation.  Ginny had virtually neglected all her studies during the potion fiasco and spent the days after the game working double time to catch up.  This meant that she barely had any time to converse with her friends… and Harry.  

Although he always found time to sit down next to her while she studied in the common room, or engaged her in conversation at meals.  At times he did look rather perturbed when she would leave dinner early, insisting she had homework to finish. Ginny supposed he was still a bit unconfident about her—after all she hadn't given him much to be sure of with standing him up and acting so strangely.  She knew that he still wondered about her sick excuse and Ginny couldn't blame him—she hadn't exactly been convincing at the time. 

However, upset as she was about the reason for Harry's feelings, Ginny didn't have much time to reflect on it, with all the homework she was suddenly faced with.  She was secretly hoping that her insecurities about the whole thing would go away.

Ron, of course, made everything ten times more difficult.  He made it very clear that he was extremely uncomfortable when she and Harry were in the same room as he was, however, every time Ginny ended a conversation with Harry or stood up to leave the room, Ron would send her a warning look. For as strange as the prospect of his best friend and his little sister having feelings for each other was, he didn't want Ginny to do or say anything that might lead to Harry finding out the truth. Ginny felt like grabbing her wand and putting a Silencing Charm on him the day he told her she needed to be more affectionate to Harry, looking as if he was going to be sick as he spoke.  

Hermione did her best to calm Ron at times, but Ginny could tell she was entirely on Ron's side.  Everyone's main priority was Harry's well-being and it was starting to make Ginny a little crazy.  It seemed as if nobody understood her side of things- the fact that every time Harry looked at her or spoke to her, she could only think of one thing: the potion.  The walk they had shared after the Quidditch game and the invitation to Hogsmeade had plagued Ginny's mind the entire week.  She couldn't even allow herself to be happy that her dream had come true- for even though she was no longer guilt-ridden, she was entirely insecure about the whole thing.  

However, she had no room to think of _herself_… she had to spend her life tiptoeing around Harry. Not only was she upset about the length they were going to keeping this quiet, she knew that he would be furious if he found out what was transpiring behind his back.  He always hated being treated with kid gloves because of his connection to Voldemort- and here were his two best friends and the girl he liked doing that very thing.  

Ginny tried to point this out to Ron, but he got angry and said that what Harry didn't know wouldn't hurt him and that if she tried to tell him the truth, he would owl mum and tell her that she had made Harry upset. Ginny felt as though she were living some kind of nightmare. Indeed she did have a dream the night before Hogsmeade about herself and Harry ten years from now, happily married with children and Ron was peeking through the window of their house, making sure she was being properly affectionate to Harry.

Needless to say that when Ginny and Sarah arrived at Hogsmeade, Ginny's nerves were running high.  

"What time is it?" she asked Sarah for the fifth time as the two girls wandered around in Honeydukes.  

Sarah sent her friend a look.  "Five minutes past the last time you asked me.  It's 2:25, you have twenty minutes before you have to leave to meet Harry."

"I know, I know," Ginny said, wiping her sweaty hands on her robes.  Sarah seemed to be the only one who was truly on Ginny's side.  "Sorry, I'm still nervous."

Sarah grabbed Ginny's hand and looked at her imploringly.  "You need to start relaxing, Ginny.  This is your life now. You and Harry are well on your way to being a couple—this isn't going to go away."

            "I know, I know… I'm trying really hard, Sarah, I am."

            "Oh, Ginny," Sarah sighed.  "Just keep telling yourself that his feelings are real, very real."

            Ginny nodded jerkily as if she were agreeing to some battle plan. When a quarter to three rolled around, Ginny bade farewell to Sarah who reached out and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. Ginny walked solemnly down the street to the restaurant, taking her time, and when she reached the pub, she took a deep breath, opened the doors— and walked right into Lana Richmond.

            Ginny allowed her eyes to go cold before pushing past her. Lana grabbed her arm.  "Ginny, wait. Don't tell me your still angry about the whole potion thing.  Come on, it's ancient history already."

            Ginny let out a sarcastic laugh and tried to walk past her, but Lana blocked her again.

            "I don't believe your acting this way," Lana said scathingly.  "It's over, Ginny, no harm done." 

            "Get out of my way," Ginny said coldly.  "I have nothing to say to you."

            "Don't act like I did something life shattering to you. Your precious Harry is back to normal again. If anything you should be _thanking_ me for giving you a glimpse at what you'll never have."

            Ginny paled.  "Get out of my way, Lana.  I'm going to be late."

            "Late?  Are you meeting someone?" said Lana curiously.

            "None of your business," Ginny said coldly and her eyes fell on Harry sitting by himself at a table, looking at his watch as a waitress placed two butterbeers on his table.  To Ginny's horror, Lana glanced in the same direction and she let out an astonished laugh.

            "I don't believe it!  You're meeting Harry? Why Ginny, how nice for you!  I see the potion did more than we thought it would."

            "The potion," Ginny said, her face burning.  "Has worn off."

            "Yes, of course it has!  I'm glad to see you took advantage of it, then."  
            Ginny's eyes flashed.  "I didn't take advantage of it.  Harry is there because of me, not because of some potion."

            Lana cast a disparaging glance down Ginny's second-hand robes and worn jeans.  "Nothing to be embarrassed about, Ginny.  You couldn't get him on your own, so you found another means.  I'm actually very impressed.  Have a nice lunch." And with that, Lana sauntered out of the pub. 

            Ginny stood in the small lobby of the pub and watched Harry sit all alone at that table. The truth of Lana's words sank into her and Ginny suddenly couldn't see from the blur of tears in her eyes.  On an anguished sob, she turned from the pub and flew down the street towards Honeydukes.  

She found Sarah in the same aisle she'd been in when Ginny had left and when she saw Ginny rushing towards her, her mouth dropped open. "Ginny!  What- what _happened?"_

"Oh, Sarah, I couldn't do it!  I just can't do this, it's too hard!" she whispered, tears pouring down her face. 

"Well, what happened?!" Sarah pushed a strand of hair back from Ginny's face.  "Oh, Ginny, don't cry," she said tearfully.

"Oh, Sarah," Ginny sobbed.  "We have to go now… he might come looking for me."

"Did you see Harry? What did he say?"

"I saw him, but he didn't see me.  Come on, Sarah, I can't stay here, we have to go back."

"Ginny, it's not as bad as all this, really!  The feelings are-"

"Real, yes, I know that. But Sarah, don't you see? He never would have looked at me if he hadn't taken the potion.  He never would have _wanted_ to feel them. _I_ could never have made him feel them—it had to be some… _magic_."

"That's not true, Ginny," Sarah whispered.  "He's stupid for not feeling them on his own."

"It's not him, Sarah.  It's me.  It has to be me."  Ginny squeezed her eyes shut as more tears fell and Sarah wrapped her arm around her shoulders.  Arm in arm, the two girls went back to school.  

To Be Finished in Part Three, coming very soon!


	3. Part 3 (Conclusion)

**Title**:  _Mistura d'Amore_

**Author**: Casca Casccara@yahoo.com

**Classification**: H/G

**Summary**:  A group of fifth year girls, including Ginny Weasely, make a love potion and the results are disastrous!

**Spoilers**: None

**Rating**: PG

**Disclaimer:** All characters and names used in these fics are the 

Legal property and creative work of JK Rowling and/or Warner Bros.  

_Except_ for Emma, Rebecca, Lana and my personal favorite, Sarah, —Potion Makers Extraordinaire. :D

A/N—And so, the conclusion!  Enjoy!

_~ Hogsmeade Weekend, cont… ~_

Harry Potter was furious.  An odd occurrence, really, since he was known for being an even-tempered sort of person.  However, as he marched up the Hogsmeade pathway, through the gates, across the Hogwarts grounds and up the castle steps, Harry knew the nature of cold wrath.  He didn't care who was looking at him curiously as he slammed through the huge wooden castle doors and he barely heard Professor McGonagall shout "Slow down, Potter!" as he charged through the corridors up to Gryffindor Tower.  He didn't even care what Ron might think about Harry's unusual interest in Ginny's whereabouts when he marched up to him and Hermione and demanded, "Where's Ginny?"

Hermione's eyes darted to Ron.  "Uh…Ginny…?"

"Yeah, Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister… you've met her, right?" he snapped at Hermione.  "Where is she?"

"Uh…" Hermione apparently couldn't speak.  

Harry turned to Ron and lifted a brow expectantly. 

"_Harry?"_ said Ron, looking shocked and confused.

"Harry, she's _sick_," Hermione said dramatically.

Harry nearly laughed out loud.  "Sick?  Really. How interesting. Let's see, the last time she stood me up she said that she was sick as well.  She looked fine to me this morning so try again, Hermione."

"Stood you _up_?" Ron asked in an exaggerated voice. He reminded Harry of a bad actor performing in a play. 

"Yeah, we had a date for Hogsmeade," Harry said impatiently.  "Look, sorry I didn't tell you, but she is your sister and all, it was weird." Then he turned to Hermione.  "Where is she, Hermione?"

"Harry, I'm serious! She's very sick!"  
            "Okay… then I'll just go up to the her dormitory and see if she's still living."  He started to walk to the staircase purposefully when Hermione shouted, "No!"

He lifted a brow. "Yes?"

"She's not up there, Harry," Hermione said, panicked.  "She's… she went to see Madam Pomfrey."   

"She's in the hospital wing?"

"Uh-huh," Hermione said brightly. 

Any other time Harry would have thought it funny how transparent Hermione was, but not now.  He only had one girl on his 

mind and since he'd come to realize that she wasn't leaving his thoughts any time soon, he needed to speak with her. Now. 

            "Well, perhaps I'll go check the hospital wing, then," Harry said, marching away.

            "Madam Pomfrey won't let you in, Harry" Hermione shrieked, running after him.

            "Who said I'm going to _ask _her to go in, Hermione?" he retorted and climbed out of the portrait hole.

            Harry stampeded through the corridors to the hospital wing, turning corners sharply and not even bothering to slow down when a teacher passed ("Ten point's from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter!" screeched McGonagall).  When he reached the door to the hospital wing, he pushed it open and started to walk towards the beds, when Madam Pomfrey skidded to a halt in front of him.  

            "Where do you think _you're _going? Granger and Weasley are not hear," she told him.

            Harry wondered angrily if people thought he had any other friends besides Ron and Hermione.  "Is _Ginny_ Weasley in there?" he asked, knowing the answer was no.

            Madam Pomfrey regarded him suspiciously.  "There are no Weasleys here."

            "Are you sure?" Harry found himself blurting.  

            Madam Pomfrey was beside herself.  "I know the patients I treat, Potter!"

            "Okay, okay," he muttered.  "Sorry."

            Madam Pomfrey tutted. "That's no tone to use on your elders. Five points from Gryffindor for that!"

            It was Harry's turn to look suspicious.  He wasn't quite sure the school nurse was allowed to take points from houses, at least he'd never seen Madam Pomfrey do it before.  But he couldn't very well argue with her about the matter, so he left, wondering how many points Ginny Weasley would wind up costing Gryffindor today.  _He_ didn't have any control over his behavior, so it wasn't _his_ fault.

            Harry hadn't had control over his feelings since he'd first looked at Ginny Weasley one morning after breakfast.  His world had turned upside down after that and he wasn't having it all.  He hadn't been _surprised_ really when his heart had crashed to the floor upon looking at her that morning.  It was the oddest feeling—as if he'd always known he would wind up feeling this way about her, but _hadn't _known until that very minute.

            It was also odd that he hadn't pushed the feelings away—as torrid as they were.  She was a _Weasley_.  He shouldn't be feeling these things for the Weasley's daughter, Ron's sister, Fred's and George's sister.  Really, Ginny was everyone's sister.  Except his… 

"Sister" was the last thing he thought of when he looked at her.  

            However, it was quite clear that she did not share his sentiments, he thought to himself as he walked around the castle aimlessly, looking in every classroom and peering down every corridor trying to find her.  Obviously she didn't feel the same way and was trying to think of a way to let him down.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that when a girl runs away from a boy every time he gets within ten feet of her isn't because she likes him.   

            Harry tried not to let this bother him.  He tried to believe that the reason he was currently on a rampage trying to find her was simply because he didn't like being stood up.  Nobody liked being stood up, especially if the girl was- no, nobody liked being stood up, _period_.  It didn't matter who the person doing the standing up was.

            So what if she was the only girl he had ever felt this way about it?  It was stupid, really that he'd taken to thinking about what he was going to buy her for Christmas in six months?  And who cared if she was the prettiest girl he'd ever looked at and was cursing himself for not looking sooner?  All of this didn't matter; _he _was upset that she'd stood him up and made a fool of himself.

            After Harry had spent almost three hours searching all the possible places Ginny could have been (and all the incredibly far-fetched places she would have taken to), after loosing five more points from Gryffindor (taken by Snape when Harry had been looking through the dungeons), Harry marched back up to the Gryffindor common room to find Hermione and Ron.  

            "Did she come back?" he asked them.  He'd stopped by Gryffindor Tower several times during his search to inquire if Ginny had returned and Ron had looked more nauseous each time.  

            "No, Harry I _told_ you, she's _sick_.  Madam Pomfrey only _said_ Ginny wasn't there because she doesn't _like_ when her patients get _visitors_."  Hermione had become more comfortable with her outrageous lie and was now telling it with a strait face, although her eyes darted every which way when she spoke. 

            Harry ignored her and with a slightly wild look in his eyes, he dragged a chair across the room and set it up facing the portrait hole.  "Can't miss her now, can I?" He asked Hermione who looked like she was going to burst into tears. Ron was staring at Harry with an incredulous look on his face.  The rest of the Gryffindor's peered his way curiously, shrugged and went back to their various activities.

            "Harry, maybe you should go get some dinner," Hermione suggested worriedly after half an hour.  "You may not be too late, usually it doesn't disappear until around eight o'clock."

            "Hermione, I drank four butterbeers while I sat at that table waiting.  I'm not hungry."

            "Maybe he's drunk," Harry heard Ron whisper to Hermione who tutted.

            "Of course he's not drunk," she hissed back.  "Butterbeer isn't as strong as that."

            "You sure it was butterbeer you were drinking, mate?" Ron asked him.

            Harry ignored Ron and crossed his arms, staring at the portrait hole.

            Another thirty minutes passed.  It was now nine pm and Harry was just about to round on Hermione to ask her again if Ginny was indeed upstairs, when the portrait creaked.  He stared intently, sitting up in his chair, but the painting didn't swing open.  He frowned as he heard female whispers.  "No, don't open, let me just peek inside!"  The next minute, he saw the face of Sarah Murphy staring directly at him. 

            "Oh!" she yelped upon seeing Harry and then disappeared.

            Narrowing his eyes, he got up from his chair and approached the portrait, hearing even more whispers.

            "He's right there!"

            "What do you mean _right there!?"_

            "He's sitting right in front of-" Sarah broke off as Harry pushed the portrait open and climbed out.

            Sure enough, Ginny and Sarah were huddled together in the dark corridor, which was lit by the flaming torches on the walls. 

            "Hi, Harry, how are you?" Sarah blurted out.

            But Harry was looking at Ginny whose eyes were popping out of her head as she backed up against a wall.  He turned to Sarah.  "Don't you have somewhere to be?" he asked rudely.

            Behind him, her heard Ginny cry out indignantly.  Sarah looked from Ginny to Harry and back again.  

            "I suppose," she whispered, sounding close to tears. She gave Ginny a fleeting look as if she were about to feed her to a pack of wolves.  "See you later, Ginny."

            "Bye, Sarah," Ginny said desperately.

            Once the portrait closed, Ginny spoke. "Harry Potter, how dare you treat my best friend like that?" 

            "Ginny," he began, on edge, but she cut him off.

            "Poor Sarah!" Ginny shrieked.  "She's the only person on my side and you go and make her leave, well I'll tell you something." She jabbed a finger at his chest.  "You are not allowed to do that." 

            Harry stared at her as if she were crazy.  "Ginny!  How can you stand there and yell at _me?_"

            To his complete horror, Ginny's eyes filled with tears.  "I don't know!" she howled, clapping a hand to her mouth.  "I don't know what I'm doing anymore, I feel like _I'm_ under some spell!"

            "Look, we need to talk," he said evenly trying to ignore the churning in his stomach as she let out a sob and buried her face in her hands.

            "We do," she whispered, nodding her head.  "We really do."

            This wasn't going the way he'd thought it would.  "Ginny, I want to know what's going on with you.  Why didn't you meet me this afternoon? And no lying, please," he said with frustration. 

            "I'm sorry I didn't come," she whispered.  "Harry… There's something you need to know."

            "What is it?" he asked, bracing himself for the truth.

            "The reason… the reason you're asking me to go places and, and feeling certain… _things_ for me… well, it's not…"

            "It's not… what?" he asked, his face burning.

            "Harry, a few days ago, my friends and I made a potion.  It was a really stupid thing to do, and I will never for as long as I live do anything like it again. I hadn't even planned on giving it to anyone.  And I didn't! However, Lana Richmond put the potion in your juice without my consent."

            "Potion?" he asked slowly, little traces of fear creeping up his spine.  "What potion?"

            Ginny sighed again.  "A potion called _Mistura d'Amore_."

            Harry tried to repeat the words.  "What language is that?"

            "It's Italian."

            "What does it mean?"

            Ginny bit her lip.  "Mixture of Love."

            He goggled at her.  "A–a _love potion_?!"

"Harry, I'm so sorry!"

            He couldn't speak; all he could do was gape at her.  "_When_…?"

            She stared at the floor.  "The same day as… the willow."

            His insides had stopped functioning.  "What does this all mean, Ginny?  Is there a counter?" She winced and Harry realized how horrible that must have sounded.  "I mean-"

            "No, there's no counter.  It's supposed to wear off…"

            "Oh." He paused.  "When?"

            Ginny swallowed and looked uncomfortable.  "Well… it … depends."

            "On what?"

            "On… the person."  She looked as though she wanted to say something else, but she shook her head firmly and stared at the floor.

            There was a very long, tense silence as they both looked everywhere but at each other.  "Well…"

            "Yeah," she whispered.  

            "Ginny, I'm sorry-"

            "Don't.  Harry, don't apologize, none of this is your fault. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I just… There's no excuse, really. I should have told you right from the start."

            "It-it's okay. It isn't your fault, I suppose." Harry didn't know what to feel.  This was all just the result of some potion? He was… crushed.  He thought about this passed week and Ginny's avoidance of him.  He began to see this from her perspective and suddenly, he felt terrible for her.  Before he knew what he was doing, Harry reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.  

"Ginny-"

            She took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. At once, Harry realized that these feelings he was having, this urge to hug her and tell her he didn't blame her, none of it was real.

"We should be getting inside," she said flatly.  "Filch is usually out prowling around this time, isn't he?" Harry could care less about Filch, but he didn't want to see Ginny get detention.  He wondered if these thoughts were caused by the potion as well.  He chose not to reflect on it.

            They turned to the Fat Lady who swung open with sad eyes.  As they stepped inside and Ginny walked to the staircase, Harry felt positively miserable.  He didn't _want_ these feeling to be wrong.  He wanted…

            He glanced over at Ron and Hermione who were trying to look busy, but Harry knew they were wondering what was going on.  He was even willing to bet that Hermione knew the entire thing.  But Harry found he didn't care much.  He muttered goodnight to them and headed up.  

            As he climbed the stairs and glanced at the door to the fifth year girls' dormitory, his heart gave a lurch and he thought furiously that his own feelings weren't his own anymore.  And suddenly all he wanted to do was go to bed and sleep until this stupid potion wore off and he could be sure of what was right.     

            _~ Day of Revelation ~_

            However, the next morning came and Harry's feelings were so jumbled that he couldn't tell if they were for Ginny or for the fact that he was functioning under the "influence".  He felt confused and angry and used and tricked.  He felt disappointment, and guilt, and the guilt made him feel angry.  

He dressed quietly and went downstairs a bit early and as he descended the spiral staircase, he could hear the mutterings of voices in the common room.

"Ginny must have done something to get him to notice her after the potion wore off because I could see Harry sitting at a table all by himself as she was about to go in."

Harry froze at the base of the stairs and peered into the room.  Lana Richmond was talking to another fifth year, (Rebecca-something_-_-?) and they were alone in the room.  Harry bit hard on his lip, but stayed where he was, as they continued.

"So she was supposed to meet him there?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah," Lana said on a sarcastic laugh.  "Although what she did to get him to ask her, I've yet to figure out.  She's so… immature.  I honestly never thought he would go for her, the way she used to snuffle around him like that. Anyway, all this is beside the point—I just don't know why she's being so childish about it all.  We did the impossible when we gave him the potion. The potion made Harry have feelings for her, even if they were only for one day. She's the fool for not taking advantage of it."

"I know.  I can't believe she wouldn't go to the Quidditch practice—he would have forgotten about it anyway."

"I know, I know.  Don't ask me to fathom the mind of Ginny Weasley.  The older we get, it seems she stays just as immature.  It's pathetic, really, how she—" Lana broke off and stared in horror as Harry entered the common room.  

Lifting a brow, he looked directly at Lana while passing her chair, and said nothing to her.

Harry climbed out of the portrait hole. His mouth was dry with anger at Lana's words.  He hated the things she said about Ginny—but the words that had stopped him short were said before she'd called Ginny a fool.  _The potion made Harry have feelings for her._

But it didn't … did it?  Hadn't he felt these things before…?  It certainly felt as though he had. Although he knew that he'd never looked at Ginny in the… _romantic _sense (his faced burned at the thought of it), he hadn't thought his feelings to be _new_ just… complete.

Harry stood perfectly still in the middle of the corridor (upon the Fat Lady's curious eyes) trying to think if there was a time he had thought of Ginny the way he was thinking about her now.  He thought about all the times he had caught her looking at him… he'd tried to act as though he hadn't seen, but how had he really been feeling?  He hadn't felt _anything_, he thought furiously, he hadn't _allowed_ himself to feel anything—

Harry very nearly gasped out loud.  Was that true?  Had these feelings always been there and Harry had simply refused to feel them?  If that were true, then the potion hadn't _given_ him these feelings, they'd already been there to begin with.

So that meant…

He had no clue whatsoever what that meant.  All he knew was that he had done more thinking in the past five minutes than he had all year long in Potions. And he was angry because there wasn't anything he could do about this new information… 

And hadn't Lana said it lasted only one day?

"She's gone for a walk."

Harry jumped a mile.  "What?" he asked the Fat Lady who had spoken and was now looking at him knowingly.

"Your young lady with the red hair.  She left early this morning and when I inquired of her where she was heading so early, she said that she was going for a walk by the lake. She looked quite troubled." The Fat Lady sighed wistfully from her frame.

Harry stared at her with bewilderment.  "Oh… thanks… I guess."

Harry stepped into the beautiful spring morning and began to walk towards the willow tree, spotting her immediately.  Ginny was laying on the ground, clad in casual clothes. Her head was cushioned on a group of vines that had pooled on the ground and she was humming to herself, restlessly moving her foot this way and that.

"Ginny?"

She gasped and sat up strait.

Harry rolled his eyes at his stupidity.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you-"

"That's okay," she said quickly.

She has leaves in her hair, he thought wildly.  The same little leaves from the vines, only now they were mixed with white flower petals from the ends of the willow branches she'd been laying on. 

Before she could stand he walked over and sat down next to her on the soft ground.  The wind picked up and carried thousands of leaves and tiny white petals through the air.  He winced as a huge clump flew right into his face and brushed quickly brushed them away.  When he glanced at Ginny, her eyes were full of mirth and she was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"Dunno what you're laughing at. The entire tree is in your hair." 

Her mouth dropped open and she put her hands to her head and messed her hair.  Leaves tumbled out.  "Oh, no," she muttered and gave her head a hard shake.  It didn't help a bit.  Then she heaved a huge sigh and let out a helpless laugh.  "Oh, well." 

"Oh, well," he smirked.  It seemed they both thought of the potion at the same time because they looked away, and the air was thick with tension suddenly.

"The Fat Lady said you'd be out here."  It was all he could think to say.

"Hmm.  That'll trust me to tell her my secrets."

Harry sat up.  "I'm not… interrupting anything-"

"No, no.  I was just kidding."

"Oh."

More silence.   

"Can I ask you something?" he asked her.

"Sure," she said very quietly.

"About… about the potion…?"

She shrugged and didn't meet his eye.

"What happens when it wears off?"

Ginny hesitated for a long time. "The drinker forgets everything that happened with the other person while he was under the influence of it."

Panic shot through him.  He would forget? But… no, it was impossible. He didn't _want_ to forget anything that happened.  Harry thought of asking her to Hogsmeade and swinging on the vines … running across the grounds with her and spotting her while she sat in the stands during his Quidditch match.  He looked at her now… pretty, pensive eyes and white flower petals dotting her copper hair and Harry found himself etching her face in his memory against the will of the spell. 

"I hate this," he whispered, casting his eyes fiercely to the ground.

She said nothing, but gazed out across the lake.  

Then he looked up suddenly, remembering something Lana had said.  "Was it supposed to wear off after one day?"

Ginny froze, and nodded slowly.

"Mine didn't, though."

She didn't say anything, but Harry could sense that she wanted to.

"Ginny, what if… what if whoever drank the potion, that is to say, already… _felt_ certain things for the other person… before he drank it… but he didn't _know _he felt those things… er, what would happen?"

"Well…" she said slowly. "If the drinker already had… The potion also causes true feelings to surface, if the feelings are repressed… or couldn't be brought in any other way."

"So… does the potion still wear off after one day…?"

She lifted her brown eyes to his.  And slowly, she nodded.

Excitement coursed through him.  "So… it's gone.  The spell is gone? But I didn't forget anything… how…?"

"You didn't forget anything because you weren't acting under the potion, Harry. You never were, the potion just made the emotions surface, it didn't influence your behavior at all."

He stared at her.  "This means it's all real?"

"You could look at it that way, I s'pose," she whispered.

"This changes everything!  Ginny-"

"It changes nothing," she said angrily and stood up to walk over to the lake where she crossed her arms and looked out across the sparkling surface.

"I don't get it," Harry said, standing and walking over to her.  "If the potion already wore off, all of this is real!  It's exactly what happened… I …I did have these feelings before, I just…" he went red and shoved his hands into his pockets.  "I just never allowed myself to feel them."

"Why didn't you allow yourself to feel them, Harry?" she demanded.

"I don't know… I guess because I was too wrapped up in other things to-"

"_Wrong,_" she said firmly.  "Of course, it's true that you've had _so_ much to deal with these last few years.  But that's not the reason you never acknowledged your feelings."

"It's not?  Then what is, do _you_ know, because _I_ don't-"

"It's _me!"_ she whispered.

"You?" 

"I am not… noticeable!"

"…What?" he asked, wondering what in the world she was talking about.  

"I couldn't bring _out_ your feelings, so you never _felt_ them.  You never noticed me, Harry, because… because _I _wasn't noticeable!"

It hit him, then, what was she trying to say.  And he let out a long, much-needed sigh of relief.  If the only obstacle he was facing was her insecurity—he was certain that he could fix that.  "You weren't?" 

"No!  Oh, I know it isn't my fault that I'm not very clever with words… or… or exceptionally _witty_ when it comes to talking to you. And I don't play Quidditch so it's not as if we have that in common. And I know that it isn't my fault that I'm not … er… _extravagant_ in my appearance. But still, you know, it makes me furious that if I _were_ any of those things, all of this may have been prevented because perhaps you would have noticed me because of something _I_ did and without the assistance of some stupid—what are you doing?"

He had a view of her panic-stricken eyes as he took a step towards her and gently cupped her face in his hands.  "Harry?" she whispered frantically as he leaned forward and very slowly, very softly touched her lips with his.  

His mind went blank… the only thing he knew was the smell of flowers in her hair and the tiny little sounds she made as he kissed her.  It was strange and brilliant and terrifying.

When it was over, Harry opened his eyes and stood where was. All of a sudden he was very aware that his hands were on Ginny's face and she was gazing at him with open shock.

He took a step back, and stared at her, not quite being able to believe what he had just done. He'd kissed her… he'd actually kissed a girl.  And not just any girl, Ginny Weasley, the girl he…well, _fancied_. He felt terrified.  

And he wanted to do it again.

But he couldn't because she was staring at him with wide eyes (they were such a pretty shade of brown, had he ever noticed that before?) and her mouth was slightly open.  She looked as terrified as he felt.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I… didn't mean to… I _did_ mean to, but I didn't mean to-" he broke off. Perhaps it would be better if he didn't say anything at all.

She let out a long shaky breath. "Mmm," was all she could manage.

Harry swallowed. "But, really, Ginny.  Things you were saying… they're just mad. It not true, any of it.  It's stupid, to be quite honest."   

She frowned. "Stupid, then, am I?"

He sighed impatiently.  "What you _said _is stupid, about not being noticeable.  Ginny, I noticed you!  I saw you all the time, and I noticed things.  I may not have _felt_ anything… at the _time_, that is. But I noticed.  I saw."

She stared at the ground, her eyes troubled.  Then she shook her head.  "You didn't see me, Harry." It was barely a whisper.

"Want a bet?" he said quietly.

            When she said nothing, Harry took a deep breath.  "Two years ago, at that Yule Ball, Neville stepped on your feet when you danced."

            She stared at him disbelief, then rolled her eyes. "Is _that_ what you noticed?  Because-"

            "You wished you hadn't accepted Neville's invitation in the first place," he said quickly.  "Because you could have gone with me."

            Her brows snapped together. "Are you trying to make me feel like a fool?"

            "No! I'm trying to tell you that I noticed those things!"

            "Stupid things," she shot back. 

"Not stupid.  You put your elbow in the butter dish," Harry said suddenly, remembering his first visit to the Burrow.

She looked ready to explode and, remembering the twins once speaking about Ginny's outrageous temper, Harry hastily added.  "I know it wasn't extravagant or witty or anything… but, you know… it was… sort of cute."  He watched her with trepidation—he'd be able to convince her he was right… wouldn't he?

"You pretended not to notice the elbow thing." 

Harry watched her intently. "You noticed, then?"

She bit her lip, then lifted her eyes to meet his.  They were smiling. "I noticed everything, Harry."

He felt something very nice seep it's way through him.  Something like relief.  "I know." Their eyes locked.  "Thank you."

She nodded.  Then she grinned.  "It wasn't anything I could control."

He grinned back. "Well, thanks anyway."

The stood, grinning foolishly at each other for a few seconds, and then Harry thought of something.  "Ron's going to flip out."

"Ugh," she said, her face turning to disgust.  "Why did you have to say his name?"

"Well… I haven't properly discussed this with him, really.  In fact he has no idea that there even was a love potion—what?"

Ginny had clasped her hand to her mouth and dissolved into giggles.  "Harry," she panted.  "He knew before you did!"

His mouth dropped. _Ron?_  "What?!"  

"Sorry, but he figured it out.  See, he found the description of the potion in Hermione's book and-"  
            "Hermione, too?  Some friends I've got."

"They're great friends and you know it. Well, at least Hermione is.  My brother… I'll never know what you see in him, Harry."

He half grinned. "It's his charm. Hey, we should get back."

They started to walk back up to the castle and Harry curled his fingers through her hers, wondering if the chance to kiss her would come again.  

"If it means anything, Ron was properly outraged at the whole ordeal," Ginny was saying, and Harry wished he'd never mentioned him.  "He was… very stressed about the whole thing." 

Harry snorted.  "He deserves it.  He and Hermione are starting to make me crazy."

"I dunno what we're going to do with the two of them," Ginny sighed.  "It's so obvious that they're made for each other."

"Ron needs to get a clue," Harry said matter-of-factly and missed Ginny's sarcastic snort. He was busy thinking of the little shivers that were racing up his arm as her fingers flexed against his.

"We should help them along," she sighed. 

"Hmm…" he said with a half grin, noting that her hair was still dotted with flower petals. He let go of her hand to play with them.  "What did you have in mind…?"

"Don't say it," she warned, her face flushed as he continued to toy with her hair.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"It's much too soon to even start _joking_ about-"

"Perhaps we can give him a love potion!" Harry exclaimed grinning.

"Harry!" she exclaimed and tried to yell at him, but he laughed and seized his chance for that kiss.  

Fin!

Feedback to Casccara@yahoo.com

Let me know how you like the ending!

The Hidden Tower

http://hiddentower.50megs.com


End file.
